On Monday, hackers launched a cyberattack on SuperValu stores, remotely changing the temperature settings in fridges and freezer units in 13 branches.
The immediate result was the mass dumping of tens of thousands of euro worth of food as the retailer sought to protect the public from potentially spoiled goods.
The broader impact – and one that will prove longer lasting – is the knowledge that no one is immune. With what seems like relatively little effort, hackers can hit us where we are most vulnerable: our food supplies.
The hack appears limited to a specific model of fridge but it is part of a growing, terrifying pattern. Reports of similar incidents at supermarkets throughout Europe emerged on Monday, with overheating fridges in Sweden, Belgium, Luxembourg, Finland and Estonia ruining millions of euro worth of food.
A hack on some French supermarkets took place last month and in the US in August the Pentagon believe hackers shut down fridges in six US military bases.
So who are the hackers? And why target supermarket shelves? And in a world of appliance connectivity how worried should people be that the next hack could be even closer to home?
Irish Times business and technology reporter Ciara O’Brien and business reporter Ian Curran explain.
Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.
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